Screw Cord - Kai no O

During the Kamakura and Muromachi periods, the mountain priests of Shugendo based themselves on mountains such as Yoshino, Kumano, Mt. Hakusan, Haguro, and Mt. Hiko, and developed their robes, doctrines, and ceremonies. It was around this time that the mountain priests began to wear the familiar Suzukake robes, a kabuki kesaya, a spotted hood or helmet cap, a conch cord and a hakama kimono around the waist, leg warmers on the feet, straw sandals with eight corners, a backpack and shoulder box on the back, a rosary on the arm, a kongo staff and a shakujo in the hands, and a conch shell (pictured). In addition, according to the doctrine, these robes are explained as showing that Yamabushi have the same qualities as Dainichi Nyorai and the Mandala of the Golden Body (Ryokai Mandala), and can attain Buddhahood, with the bell and ketsukesa representing the Vajrayana and the Taizokai, the helmet hood representing Dainichi Nyorai, the irataka rosary, conch shell, shakujo, hakama, and gaiters representing the Shugendo practitioner's process of attaining Buddhahood, and the spotted lid, backpack, shoulder box, and screw cord representing the Shugendo practitioner's rebirth as a Buddha.

*Some of the terminology that refers to "screw cord" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…　鎌倉･室町時代にはこの修験道の山伏たちは，吉野，熊野，白山，羽黒，彦山(英彦山)などの諸山に依拠し，法衣，教義，儀礼をととのえていった。歌舞伎の《勧進帳》などで広く知られる鈴懸（すずかけ）を着，結袈裟（ゆいげさ）を掛け，頭に斑蓋や兜巾（ときん）(頭巾)，腰に螺（かい）の緒と引敷，足に脚絆を着けて八つ目のわらじをはき，笈（おい）と肩箱を背負い，腕にいらたか念珠をわがね，手に金剛杖と錫杖（しやくじよう）を持って法螺（ほら）貝を吹くという山伏の服装は，このころからはじまった(図)。またこうした法衣は教義の上では，鈴懸や結袈裟は金剛界と胎蔵界，兜巾(頭巾)は大日如来，いらたか念珠･法螺貝･錫杖･引敷･脚絆は修験者の成仏過程，斑蓋･笈･肩箱･螺の緒は修験者の仏としての再生というように，山伏が大日如来や金胎の曼荼羅(両界曼荼羅)と同じ性質をもち，成仏しうることを示すと説明されている。…

※「螺の緒」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報